How Seniors Can Get Smell Out of Earrings

Earrings look pretty, but behind these pretty baubles can lie some pretty powerful stankiness. Pull one (or both) of those babies out of your lobes, and make sure to avoid your nostrils, because you are going to inhale some major ear cheese, my friend. (This is not to be confused with toe jam, which is a whole different ball game, and enough to put you off food entirely if you think about it too much, so just don’t go there). This guide will provide information about how to get smell out of earrings so you can keep this fashion accessory fresh and enjoy adoring yourself with these fun and fashionable and oh-so-pretty accessories.

The reason you may notice the posts and the surface of the earrings has picked up an icky odor is probably be due to a buildup of dead skin and natural oils our pores produce, called sebum. The oily gunk is the same thing that gunks up pores and produces pimples, by the way, so we're getting into some really yecchy territory when we get a whiff of earring odor. We naturally shed a certain amount of dead skin cells every day anyway (an attractive thought, isn't it?), but there are some things you can do to make sure your earrings don't get trapped in the funk fallout. You can deal with this; just check out the solutions listed here and choose the ones that make the most sense to you.

How to Get Smell Out of Earrings

If your piercing is relatively new, wash your ears and your earnings with the cleaning solution you would have been given when you had the studs put in. It will contain an antibacterial agent that should get rid anything that is causing a stench. Washing only one element (ears or earrings) isn't enough to deal with the problem, since there may still be bacteria on the earring or the surface of your skin. If you notice the area around your piercing is red, swollen, or weeping, you may have an infection, and you should get it checked out by a doctor.

2. Go for the Alcohol Swipe

Rubbing alcohol can be used to clean your ears and your earrings if you notice one or both of them are a bit too high on the P.U. meter for your liking. You can use tissues or cotton pads that will not tear, as opposed to cotton balls, to apply the liquid to the metal and to your skin. It will evaporate quickly, which means you can get the earrings changed and on with your day. If you are concerned about the alcohol stinging if you happen to have a tear at the piercing site, consider using hydrogen peroxide instead.

3. Put Some Hydrogen Peroxide On It

Hydrogen peroxide will also tame any smell coming from your earrings. Be sure to swab both your lobes and the earring itself, including the post and where it attaches to the rest of the jewelry. You never know where bits of skin or other pieces of particles that might be causing the offensive aroma may be hanging out. If the issue is bacterial, the hydrogen peroxide will get rid of it. You will be able to tell if that kind of action is going on if you see some bubbles appear on your ear lobe. It's just the peroxide doing it's thing, so no worries, and it should not sting at all.

4. Take Care of Business in the Shower

Take your earrings out before you get in the shower and wash behind your ears thoroughly (front and back) while you are under the spray. You an also wash your earring posts with a liquid soap, rinse and allow them air dry between wearings to keep the smell issue at bay.

5. Attack the Stink with Acne Cream

You can deal with the issue of stinky earnings and piercings in your ears by applying an acne cream containing benzoyl peroxide to your lobes. This product will dry your skin and kill any bacteria lurking on it in the process. (Bacteria being the sneaky little devils they are, love to lurk.)

Disclaimer: Grandfolk strives to keep its information accurate and up to date. All financial services, shopping products and care services are presented without warranty. When evaluating offers, please review the product’s Terms and Conditions.

Advertiser Disclosure: We receive compensation from our partners when someone applies or gets approved for a product through our site. But, the results of our tools and editorial reviews are based on quantitative and qualitative assessments of product features — nothing else. Additional resources